Your presentation is coming to a close, you have a strong summary and conclusion the last slide appears for the first time and within seconds of finishing, the technical team turns off the projector. That’s really too bad because the finale slide is your contact information and the means of how the audience is expected to reach you. This happened to one of my clients after a big keynote address and it was the one critique he received on the comment cards, even though it was out of his control. If you know that a technical team will be handling the equipment before and after, have a word with them about keeping the last slide up for X amount of time, like 5 minutes after the presentation. A presenter also has some control; you could plan to give your conclusion while the last slide is showing, giving the audience a
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I’ve written blogs before about being a mixer before your presentation. It is important to arrive early and meet people so you are more comfortable beginning your speech knowing at least a few faces in the audience. It is just as important for the presenter to stay behind and answer questions and elaborate on a few points after the presentation is complete. The audience generally has questions about how your topic relates to their own experiences, or how they can take your points and implement it in their own lives. Some audience members are reluctant or scared to ask a question in front of everyone. Also, some questions are not appropriate or are too specific to waste the entire room’s time asking so they will ask you one-on-one later. Let the audience know that you truly care about their successes too by staying behind and refine the information on how
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I recommend all presenters check out the room a few days before you present. This gives you a feel for things like echoes, room configuration, where you will be, and if you need to adapt your strategy. I have been working with this client on several presentations that have all come up at the same time. The first presentation was booked 3 months prior for a group of 70-90 people in a breakout room – no worries, right? Based on my recommendation, he checked out the venue a few days before his presentation to figure out exactly where he was going and what the room looked like to make final preparations. First, he went to the wrong hotel (Marriott vs. the JW Marriott across the street), upon finding the correct hotel and location inside the hotel, the room was three times larger than described. The room had a stage with
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In the previous blog post “Look the Part” I discussed the importance of dressing for a first impression, the power suit, attire well put together. All of that is true, but what if there are exceptions?!?! I recently went with a client to a presentation at a conference in town. We had discussed what to wear and decided on a nice suit and tie that would look the part. Attire that would look professional and powerful. He went to check out the room a few days before the presentation and noticed that absolutely nobody was in any clothing that looked “professional”. Everyone was in jeans and company polos shirts. We had to re-address the attire, if he were to show up in a nice snappy suit, all the attendees would probably think he was a shmuck (his words) and be automatically turned off! We re-decided on jeans, a button front shirt,
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A Lavaliere is defined as a small microphone that can be pined onto clothing for hands free operation. As a presenter, the use of a microphone is necessary when presenting in a large room. Lavaliere microphones are helpful because they allow for hands-free operation, giving the presenter the opportunity to use hands for demonstration, or gestures as well as the opportunity to move about the stage. It also allows the presenter to get away from that pesky podium, but it is important for presenters to learn how to use a lavaliere microphone. Unfortunately, the lavaliere microphone comes with its own challenges and requires an additional and special strategy when it is being used. The lavaliere microphone is usually pinned to your tie, lapel, or middle of your shirt, allowing the microphone to pick up your voice when you are talking and looking forward. I suggest running the cord under your shirt so the wires
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Microphones are very helpful when presenting to a large room and to an enormous number of people. I’ve experienced both cases where I’ve used microphones and when I struggled to project my voice and speak louder because of outside noises or the room configuration, making me wish I had a microphone. Microphones are beneficial, but it takes knowledge and strategy to use them properly. 1) In my own presentations to local associations and business groups, I have always mention that it is a strategy to use a microphone and thus you must know how to use a microphone, much like using any other tool. Part of knowing how to use a microphone is knowing to talk like normal while using a microphone. If a presenter is using any type of microphone, they must talk like they do everyday to friends, family, and colleagues. Presenters who are not used to using
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My husband has been striving to be a speaker for years, it’s only ironic and coincidental that I am a presentation coach. He has spoken at lots of different events including his own business networking groups and several conferences. He always goes through the appropriate steps to prepare properly for a presentation, but often complains about the lack of spunk when practicing. The last conference he spoke at, he realized that the spunk comes from his nervous energy, he reinvests his nervousness and converts it into enthusiasm and spunk. So when he steps on stage the day of the speech, his presentation turns out completely different than it was when he was practicing it because of this newfound energy. The movie Maid in Manhattan is a cute love story about a maid in a upscale, New York hotel who becomes smitten with a senatorial candidate and the rest is in the movie
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Lots of presenters are terrified of the thought of using props. Props can be awkward if they are not incorporated into the strategy of your presentation. What is oftentimes overlooked is that props can be a huge asset and could be the tipping point of getting your audience to relate. In high school I used to work at a ladies fitness gym, on the table was a replica of what a pound of human fat. That gross and disgusting replica was a pivotal moment in our gym members day, when the ladies realized what is inside their bodies. That motivated them to join the gym and lose the weight. Innumerable number of lectures I have witnessed, blogs, books, or articles I have read, and videos I have watched about weight loss and it doesn’t mean a thing because I can’t see it. “Seeing is believing” motivates people to lose weight.
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Audience members sacrifice a lot to be present at your presentation, those members probably have a To Do List a mile long and a life to take care of outside of your presentation. Instead they are sitting and listening to you (,I am always tickled by that thought when I’m doing presentations myself). Since the audience has sacrificed so much, they expect to gain something from this speech, they expect to be understood and cared about. In general the audience also craves to be a part of your presentation. You have a number of different ways to go about involving the audience. You could simply ask questions and have the audience respond by raising their hand or standing to answer the question. You could also ask them a question that yields a silent answer like, “Do you want to learn about sheep?” Using this method involves the audience and makes
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Anybody remember Ferris Buller’s Day Off, “Buller, Buller” in such a monotoned voice. Could you imagine listening to a presenter who spoke in that fashion for any length of time? Not just in a monotoned way, but with such a lack of interest in the subject. Bore, I’m sleeping already just imagining it. Even if I liked the topic I would still fall asleep. Presenting is more than just knowing your stuff, you also have to like it in order to breathe life into it. I remember in college, the subjects that I shared an interest in were the ones I would always score highest in. The subjects that I didn’t like or couldn’t stand but were forced to take were the ones that I would obviously score lowest in. The truth is that if you are coming up to a presentation, you have to enjoy the topic yourself, by
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